Derasha 5 on Vayikra 12:2

TT #5 · Parshas Tazria · Aliyah 1 · Passuk 2

The Complete Passuk

דַּבֵּ֞ר אֶל־בְּנֵ֤י יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ לֵאמֹ֔ר אִשָּׁה֙ כִּ֣י תַזְרִ֔יעַ וְיָלְדָ֖ה זָכָ֑ר וְטָֽמְאָה֙ שִׁבְעַ֣ת יָמִ֔ים כִּימֵ֛י נִדַּ֥ת דְּוֺתָ֖הּ תִּטְמָֽא׃

English: Speak to the Israelite people thus: When a woman at childbirth bears a male, she shall be impure seven days; she shall be impure as at the time of her condition of menstrual separation.

Chabad.org — Chumash, English translation + Rashi for Vayikra 12:2

Source Citation

Torah Temimah cites Niddah 31a.

Core Text of Chazal

Core Text — Niddah 31a
אָמַר רַבִּי יִצְחָק אָמַר רַבִּי אַמִּי: אִשָּׁה מַזְרַעַת תְּחִלָּה יוֹלֶדֶת זָכָר, אִישׁ מַזְרִיעַ תְּחִלָּה יוֹלֶדֶת נְקֵבָה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: אִשָּׁה כִּי תַזְרִיעַ וְיָלְדָה זָכָר.

English: Rabbi Yitzchak said in the name of Rabbi Ami: If the woman emits seed first, she gives birth to a male; if the man emits seed first, she gives birth to a female, as it says: “If a woman conceives and gives birth to a male.”

Type of Learning

Textual inference

What Is Learned

The sequence of “she conceives” and “gives birth to a male” is read as a scriptural allusion to the order of conception.